What is millilitre?

A millilitre is a metric unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a litre. It is commonly used in medicine, cooking, laboratory measurements, and the labelling of food and beverage products.

Real-world uses

Millilitres are used for medication dosages (cough syrup, injectable solutions), cooking measurements, cosmetic product volumes, and laboratory reagent quantities. A standard medical syringe is graduated in mL, and espresso shots are typically 25–30 mL.

History

The millilitre emerged naturally from the litre with metric prefix conventions. It became essential in medicine and laboratory science where precise small-volume measurements are critical. In medical contexts, "cc" (cubic centimetre) was long used interchangeably with mL.

Common mistakes

Confusing millilitres with cubic centimetres—they are numerically equal (1 mL = 1 cm³) but conceptually different units. Also, mixing up mL with mg; one is volume, the other is mass.

What is tablespoon (metric)?

A metric tablespoon is a volume unit equal to exactly 15 millilitres. It is widely used in cooking recipes in metric countries as a convenient measure for sauces, oils, and seasonings.

Real-world uses

The metric tablespoon (15 mL) is used in cooking recipes worldwide, particularly for oil, vinegar, sauces, and spices. It is also a common dosing measure for adult liquid medicines. Nutritional databases often list serving sizes in tablespoons.

History

The tablespoon evolved from the table or serving spoon and was adopted as a cooking measure. The metric tablespoon was standardized at 15 mL (3 metric teaspoons). In Australia, the tablespoon was standardized at 20 mL, creating a regional exception.

Common mistakes

Assuming a tablespoon is always 15 mL—the Australian tablespoon is 20 mL, and the US customary tablespoon is 14.79 mL. Failing to check which standard a recipe uses can alter the outcome of precise baking recipes.

When is this conversion used?

Converting millilitre to tablespoon (metric) is useful in the volume domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.

Worked examples

1 millilitre = 0.06666667 tablespoon (metric)

1 tablespoon (metric) = 0.015 litre

How to convert millilitre to tablespoon (metric)

To convert millilitre to tablespoon (metric), multiply the value by 0.06666667.

To convert tablespoon (metric) back to millilitre, multiply by 15.

Measurement standards

The cubic metre is the SI derived unit of volume. The litre, equal to exactly one cubic decimetre (0.001 m³), is accepted by the BIPM for use alongside SI units. Both the lowercase "l" and uppercase "L" are approved symbols for the litre.

Did you know?

An Olympic swimming pool holds 2,500 cubic metres of water — about 2.5 million litres. The Amazon River discharges roughly 209,000 cubic metres per second, enough to fill 84 Olympic pools every single second.

Quick reference: millilitre to tablespoon (metric)

millilitretablespoon (metric)
0.10.00666667
0.50.03333333
10.06666667
20.13333333
50.33333333
100.66666667
251.66666667
503.33333333
1006.66666667
25016.66666667
50033.33333333
1,00066.66666667

Common values

millilitretablespoon (metric)
A teaspoon5 millilitre0.33333333 tablespoon (metric)
A cup of coffee250 millilitre16.66666667 tablespoon (metric)
A water bottle500 millilitre33.33333333 tablespoon (metric)
A bathtub300,000 millilitre20,000 tablespoon (metric)
A swimming pool (Olympic)2.500000e+09 millilitre166,666,666.66666669 tablespoon (metric)

Available Volume units

More millilitre conversions